Wire-drawing block



, Patented Dec. 23, 1941 2,267,564 'WIRE-DRAWING BLOCK Edwin J. Mcllvried, Akron,

Ohio, assignor to The Vaughn Machinery Company, Cuyahoga Falls,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 4, 1939, Serial No. zsmso 9 Claims.

It has long been recognized as desirable in the wire drawing art to cool the wire, and more especially certain kinds of wire, at or following its passage through the die, and a convenient method for effecting such cooling has consisted in the provision of cooling means in association with the drum or block around which the wire is wrapped after passing through the die, such drum or block serving as the instrumentality for thus drawing the wire. One arrangement for effecting such cooling is described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,950,901, dated March 13, 1934, whereby a current of air may be passed over such a drawing block, the air at the same time being directed upon the wire that is being wound upon the block. It has also been proposed (see British Patent No. 1483 of 1909 to- Carter) to cool the drum, and thus the wire, by directing a cooling liquid such as water against the inner wall of the rotating drum. However, where water is thus used as the cooling medium, considerable difficulty has been encountered due to its tendency to enter the upper bearings by which the block is supported; also due to centrifugal force generated it is hard to control the discharge of water as it leaves the drum after serving its cooling function.

I have now discovered that by a proper combination of air-cooling with water-cooling means, the use of such last mentioned'medium may be rendered entirely practical and the temperature of the drum, and thus of the wire, successfully reduced. I

To the accomplishmentof the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means and method hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but several of the various. mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a wire-drawing mechanism including my improved cooling means; r

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the wire-drawlng drum or block which forms a principal 'element of such mechanism;

Fig. 3' is atop plan view of the nozzle ring whereby water is supplied to the interior of such drum; V

Figs. ,4 and 5 are transverse sections on a somewhat larger scale ofsuch ring and adjacent portion of the support therefor, the sections of such figures being indicated by the lines i-.-d and 5--5, respectively, on Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view similar to that of-Fig. l, but showing a modified form of drum or block and somewhat different arrangement of cooling means.

For the purpose of illustrating my improved construction, the latter is shown in connection with a wire-drawing mechanism of the individually driven type such as will be found in prior U. S. Patent No. 1,723,316 to Tippet, dated August 6, 1929. It will be understood, however, that such cooling means are not limited in their application to any such particular type of wiredrawing mechanism, but may be advantageously incorporated in benches comprising a plurality of blocks. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the drum or block may be either. of the single or double-deck type, i. e., have one or more than one cylindrical wall around which the wire is wound as it is drawn through a corresponding die or dies (not shown).

Referring to the machine as illustrated in Fig.

1, the drum or block I about which the wire is.

wound is carried at the upper end of a vertical spindle 2, the lower end of which is journaled in a suitable bearing 3 and the upper end in a suitable bearing 4 provided in the supplemental The latter is in framework 5 of the machine. turn supported on a box-like main frame 6 and the shaft is driven through a worm gear 'I mounted on its lower end, as need not be further described.

As previously indicated, the drum or block I inthe form of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 has a single cylindrical wall Ia about which the wire is wound, such wall being defined above by a shallow radial flange lb and below by a flaring flange or skirt lc, sometimes called an apron.

The frame 5 in which the spindle 2 of the drum or block is journaled is in the form of a hollow shell, the'upper wall of which, in addition to a cylindrical extension ID in which bearings 4 are received, is provided with an annular seat .II which surrounds such extension, and at a still lower level with an annular-trough l2.

Lying radially outside of such trough l2 and of frame 5 is an annular chamber or apron 4 ring II which freely communicates through openings ll with the annular. space l5 between such ring. and the outerfwall of trough l2. .It will be noted the flange lc on the drum or block I extends across and closesthe space in quesv principally from that having sealing engagement is established in the space above tion. In certain of the strengthening radial ribs Id with which the drum or block I is formed, pasasges Ie are provided which lead upwardly from beneath the flange lo and thus from the annular space l5 which is closed off by such flange to points adjacent the under side of the hub of the drum, or in other words, directly above the upper bearing 4 of the drum-supporting spindle 2.

Air orother cooling gaseous medium is supplied to the ring l3 through a supply pipe Hi,

from a suitable pressure source (not. shown). The inner face of the ring which projects above the flange lc of the drum is pierced by a series of apertures or slots I1 through which-streams or jets of air will be directed radially inwardly against the cylindricalwall la of the drum. Air will also be carried from the ring through the passages ie in the drum to the space above bearing 4 of the drum spindle.

Mounted on the annular seat II that surrounds the bearing extension of frame 5 is an annular ring by means of which water or equivalent cooling liquid is designed to be supplied to the interior of the drum as will now be described. In the preferred construction, illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, consists of an integral hollow casting, the base of which is sup ported in spaced relation from the seat II by means of interposed washers 2|. It will also be noted that the base ring is of larger diameter than the extension In so that water flowing down such extension may freely escape outwardly across the seat beneath the ring. The upper portion of the ring is pierced at intervals by apertures 22, the number and location of which will vary upon the particular style or design of drum employed in the machine, the arrangement being such that a series of jets of water will be directed against the interior of the cylindricalwall la, suchwater being supplied to the ring through a suitable connection 23.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 6'difiers already described in that the drum is here shown as formed with stepped cylindrical faces 25a, and the connections for supplying air from the annular space 15 to the space above the spindle, instead of being wholly'cored in the reinforcing flanges of the drum, are in part provided by short tube sections 26.

When the machine is in operation, the block or drum normally rotates at a high speed, and when doing this the water spray supplied from the annular nozzle 20 is thrown around inside the block and tends to creep into every crevice. The air coming in under the flange or apron lc of I the block also has a tendency to go through the .-clearance between the seal, indicated as a whole by the numeral in Fig. 1, which closes on the lower portion of the block from the trough I 2. The seal 30 comprises an annular member 3| car ried by a part 32 of the supplemental frame I with an annular flange 33 carried by the block I. As -a result, when the surfaces become loaded with water there is a tendency for the water to creep upwardly on the bearing extension l0 and into the upper bearing of the block spindle. However,

by providing for the flow of air directly from.

the ring I, or rather the annular space immediately within such ring, through ducts la, (in the case of the pipe structure shown in Fig. '8 through the tubes 26) a counter-pressure of air this ring as best flcient to overcome any tendency for the water.

to rise around the extension l0 and enter such bearing. At the same time, a suflicient pressure of air is established above the seal at the lower edge of the drmn to overcome any tendency for water to pass upwardly through such seal. In other words, the water that is sprayed against the interior of the drum is confined by the air pressure thus introduced at its center and periphery and such water caused to flow downwardly into the trough l2 whence it is removed from the machine. I

In addition to the control thus effected by means of the introduction of air streams, or rather air pressure, within the drum upon the tendency of the water to reach the drum bearings and otherwise cause mischief, such introduction of the air in itself has a supplemental cooling effect. At the same time, the streams of air discharged radially inwardly against the cylindrical wall of the drum through the aperture I! in ring l3 will function as set forth in my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,950,901, to cool the drum, and more particularly the coils of wire surrounding the same, since the jets of air come directly in contact with such coils.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

the bearing suf- 1. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a hollow rotatable block; means adapted to direct a cooling liquid spray against an interior surface of said block; and other means adapted to supply gaseous fluid under pressure within said block to confine the liquid spray to said surface and control the flow of the liquid spray therefrom.

2. In' wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a hollow rotatable block; means adapted to direct a cooling liquid spray against an interior surface of said block; and other means adapted to supply gaseous fluid under pressure' within said block to confine the liquid spray to said surface and control the flow of the liquid spray therefrom, and to direct a stream of such fluid against the outside of said drum.

3. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of said spindle; a bearing for the latter adjacent said block; means adapted to direct a cooling liquid spray against the interior of said block; and other means adapted to supply gaseous fluid under pressure within said block above said bearing, whereby flow of such liquid into the latter is prevented.

4. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of. said spindle; a bearing for the latter adjacent said block; means adapted to direct a cooling liquid spray against the interior of said block; and other means adapted both to supply gaseous fluid under pressure within said block above said bearing, whereby flow of such liquid into the latter is prevented, and to direct a stream of such fluid against the outside of said drum.

5. Inwire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of said spindle;'a bearing for such end of the latter-awjacent said block; a water spray ring located within said drum; and an annular chamber surrounding the lower edge of said drum and connected with an air pressure supply, said chamber having apertures arranged to direct streams of air against the outside of said block and passages leading irom said chamber to points within said drum above said water spray ring.

.6. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of said spindle; a bearing for such end of the latter adjacent said block; a water spray ring located within said drum; and an annular chamber surrounding the lower edge of said drum and connected with an air pressure supply, said chamber having apertures arranged to direct streams of air against the outside of said block and passages leading from said chamber to points within said drum above said spindle bearing.

7. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of said spindle; a frame including an extension and bearing therein for such spindle end, said frame being formed with an annular seat below such'extension and with an annular trough on a still lower level; and a water spray ring supported in such step.

8. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a vertical spindle; a hollow rotatable block mounted on the upper end of said spindle; a frame including an extension and bearing therein for such spindle end, said frame being formed with an annular seat below such extension and with an annular trough on a still lower level; and a water spray ring supported on such step in spaced relation both to said step and said extension.

9. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a hollow rotatable block, a water spray ring'located within said drum adapted to direct a coolingliquid spray against an interior surface of said block; and an annular chamber surrounding the lower edge of said drum and connected with an air pressure supply, said cham-- ber having apertures arranged to direct streams of air against the outside of said block, said chamber also being provided with passages lead ing therefrom for conducting air to points with-- in said drum to confine the liquid spray to said surface and control the flow of liquid spray therefrom.

EDWIN J. McILVRIED. 

